Myths and Facts About Autism

Nancy Roizen, MD,
Division Chief, Developmental/ Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychology, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital

The numbers are undeniably alarming. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) increased 57 percent between 2002 and 2006. Today, nearly 1 percent of children are diagnosed with an ASD. While researchers say no single factor can explain these statistics, one thing is certain: Parents can best help their children by understanding the myths — and facts — about this disease.

Myth: All people with autism are alike.

Fact: ASDs make up a group of developmental disabilities that affect social, communication and behavioral abilities. They are called “spectrum disorders” because they affect each person in a different way, and symptoms can range from mild to severe.

Myth: Autism is caused by poor parenting, unloving mothers, vaccines…

Researchers do not know exactly what causes ASDs. They do know it has nothing to do with how a child is raised, however.

The idea that vaccines might play a role surfaced after a small 1998 study was published in the Lancet and one of the authors made public comments. In early 2010, the Lancet study was retracted by the journal after flaws in the authors’ research methods were revealed. There is no scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism.

So, what do experts think might cause ASDs? Research has exposed some risk factors, but researchers continue to search for answers, and they are looking at everything from brain chemistry, to maternal and paternal age at birth, to birth order, to genetic and environmental factors.

Myth: Autism can be cured.

Fact: Currently there is no cure for ASDs, but early diagnosis and intervention can greatly improve a child’s development. That is why the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that pediatricians screen all children for ASDs at both 18 and 24 months.

The authors of new research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry say their findings support these recommendations. They found that signs of autism may emerge gradually over a child’s first year or more, so in the majority of affected children it may not be possible to identify an ASD before age 1. Researchers also found that parents do not always recognize ASD signs and would be helped by formal screenings.

“It is important to bring concerns about social and language delays to the attention of your pediatrician so that evaluation and interventions can begin as soon as possible,” says Nancy Roizen, MD, Division Chief, Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics and Psychology, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.